Schlossberg’s Transition Schlossberg’s Transition TheoryTheory

Sarah BoeckmannRashad MorganLauren RichardsEDH5045 – Group 8

Schlossberg’s Transition Model

“A framework created to connect adults to the help needed to cope with the ordinary and extraordinary process of living” (Evans, et al., 213).

Transition

Any event or non-event, that results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions and roles (Evans, et al., 215).

Types of events

Anticipated - occur predictably

Unanticipated - not predictable or scheduled

Nonevents - expected to occur, but do not

The Transition ProcessThe 4 S’s

Situation Trigger, timing, assessment

Self Personal and demographic characteristics Psychological resources

Support Intimate, family, friends, institutional

Strategies Effective coping uses multiple coping methods

We Are Marshall

Main Characters in We Are Marshall

Nate Reggie

Annie

Tom Coach Lengyel

Initial Transition - Plane Crash

Unanticipated Not predicted or scheduled

Situation Not considered “good timing”

Out of the control of those affected

Self Effects everyone differently

Support Friends and family, institutional

Positive and Negative Unanticipated Event Transition Growth and Coping

Methods Growth through transition

“Moving-in” phase

Evaluating the situation

Positive for Nate

Sees the situation as something that he can control

Reaches out to freshmen players to grow his support group

Negative for Tom

Realizes he doesn’t want to play football

Agrees with administration

Negative Nonevent Tom should’ve been at the game and on the

plane but he wasn’t – resulting in a nonevent.

Strategies How is he coping with this?

Negative Tom has fallen to self-defeated thinking. He is

not going back to team, even though Nate is giving him the support he needs.

Unanticipated/Positive Event

Unanticipated Reggie didn’t expect to be able to move forward or

accept his new roommates and teammates.

Phase Moving-through and moving-out

How does Reggie’s transition phase compare with Nate’s?

Coping Reggie is moving on by taking direct action. He is

becoming friends with the other football team members, and allows them to physically and symbolically take the place of his old friends.

Anticipated/Negative Event

The community members were aware that the team was going to play, but it didn’t change the feelings or the outcome behind the event.

Tom and Annie are still in the moving-in phase.

The team badly loses the game and it reminds the community and the players about the terrible crash that caused all of these transitions.

Integrating Helpers to Assist Transitions

In integrating the transition model with the Cormier and Hackney (1993) counseling model, Schlossberg’s theory provided a useful vehicle for identifying effective actions that can be taken to support individuals in transition.

1. Relationship building

2. Assessment

3. Goal setting

4. Interventions

5. Termination and follow-up

Integrating Helpers to Assist Transitions

Nate is in denial that he is hurt, and is still moving through his transition.

Coach Lengyle has been a support system for him from the very beginning, particularly through this intervention.

How can Coach Lengyle help Nate move from moving-through his transition to moving-out of his transition? How can he demonstrate termination and follow-up?

Transitioning to Moving-Out

Nate thought he would be able to play, but it turns out that he can’t, which results in a nonevent.

Even with the nonevent, Nate was able to accept the transition rather quickly because of the immediate support from his coach.

In regards to self, he was more adjusted to nonevent and unanticipated transitions, and was able to handle the change more intentionally.

Transitioning to Moving-Out

“Goodman et al. (2006) stressed the role of perception in transitions” (Evans, et al., 215).

Tom comes to the football game and joins the team on the field after the win.

Nate is happy and content even though he wasn’t able to play the second half of the football game.

Annie had plans before the crash to move to California with her fiancé, but stayed behind after the crash. At the end of the movie she is driving away during the football game because she decided to move on with her life and move to California and start a new life.

References Evans, N.J., et al. (2010). Student

development in college. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Questions?